High performance building is within reach

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The future is now. Hundreds of Net Zero and Net Zero Ready buildings are on this site, and more are coming online every day.

Net Zero buildings are all-electric and produce or procure renewable energy to cover their operational emissions. Net Zero Ready buildings are electrified and efficient enough to run on renewable energy as soon as sources are available.

Net Zero and Net Zero Ready Projects by Year (GSF)
Year Net Zero Ready GSF Net Zero GSF Total GSF
1990 0 143,510 143,510
2003 19,200 0 19,200
2010 93,833 0 93,833
2011 60,000 0 60,000
2012 24,000 3,500 27,500
2013 924 0 924
2014 45,000 0 45,000
2015 285,017 0 285,017
2016 237,520 61,315 298,835
2017 15,400 0 15,400
2018 339,223 3,000 342,223
2019 26,805 282,000 308,805
2020 106,700 131,531 238,231
2021 482,527 70,000 552,527
2022 1,334,970 740,151 2,075,121
2023 3,513,901 324,660 3,838,561
2024 7,073,355 1,247,700 8,321,055
2025 9,568,179 1,284,966 10,853,145
2026 5,327,266 1,399,204 6,726,470
2027 3,579,749 1,362,118 4,941,867
2028 3,624,915 378,747 4,003,662
2029 0 618,638 618,638
2030 7,374,776 0 7,374,776
2031 3,287,000 0 3,287,000

This trend stretches across every industry.

From multifamily housing and K-12 schools to labs and healthcare, projects across a wide range of industries are achieving high-performance building standards, proof that achieving Net Zero is possible regardless of project type.

Net Zero Building Types
Building Types Number of Projects
Assembly 11
Aviation 0
Education K-12 58
Education: Higher Ed 19
Food Sales & Service 0
Healthcare 6
Industrial / Warehouse 0
Laboratory / Tech / Science 39
Lodging 7
Mixed Use 39
Office 13
Residential: Affordable Multi Family 68
Residential: Multi-family 67
Restaurant 0
Retail 1
Senior Living 21
Total 349

Net zero buildings are being built at the same cost as conventional buildings.

Of the projects that reported cost data, many Net Zero and Net Zero Ready buildings have less than a 1% construction cost premium compared to conventional buildings. High-performing buildings also significantly reduce operating costs, which can offset any upfront premiums in a matter of years.

Projects by Construction Cost Range
Cost Range Number of projects
<-11% 2
-11% to -6.1% 0
-6% to -3.1% 4
-3% to -1.1% 0
-1% to 1% 59
1.1% to 3% 9
3.1% to 5% 2
5.1% to 8% 11
8.1% to 10% 1
10.1% to 12% 0
>12% 0
Not calculated 51
Total 139

Net Zero buildings employ a range of heating options to achieve electrification.

The majority of Net Zero and Net Zero Ready projects employ heat pumps to electrify their heating and cooling operations. There are many options available to design teams, made easy by low overall energy demand in ultra-efficient projects.

Projects by Heat Source
Heat Sources Number of Projects
Air-source Heat Pump 273
Exhaust-source Heat Pump 5
Ground-source Heat Pump 92
Water-source Heat Pump 0
Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) 3
Total 373

Electrification of domestic hot water is possible for large scale buildings across a variety of industries.

Many projects use electrified domestic hot water systems, deploying a range of strategies with proven performance across multifamily, education K-12, and lab projects, just to name a few.

Hot Water Heating Source by Project Type
Project Type Air-source heat pump Electric resistance instantaneous Electric resistance storage Ground-source heat pump Heat recovery heat pump District heating electric Unspecified Total
Assembly 0 1 0 1 0 0 9 11
Aviation 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Education K-12 0 5 0 4 0 0 49 58
Education: Higher Ed 1 0 1 0 0 0 17 19
Food Sales & Service 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Healthcare 1 0 0 1 0 0 4 6
Industrial / Warehouse 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Laboratory / Tech / Science 2 0 7 1 0 0 27 37
Lodging 2 0 2 1 0 0 1 6
Mixed Use 12 0 2 1 0 0 24 39
Office 1 1 2 0 0 0 8 12
Residential: Affordable Multi Family 34 0 3 0 0 0 26 63
Residential: Multi-family 11 2 3 2 0 0 46 64
Restaurant 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Retail 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1
Senior Living 15 0 1 0 0 0 4 20
Total 79 9 21 12 0 0 215 336

Projects are achieving Net Zero through on-site and off-site renewable energy procurement.

There are many procurement methods for renewable energy, which can greatly reduce operating costs and strain on the grid. This is happening across project types, powering buildings of all sizes.

On and Off-site Renewable Energy for Net Zero Buildings by Project Type
Project Type On-site Only Both Off-site Only Total
Assembly 0.133 0.000 0.000 0.133
Aviation 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000
Education K-12 4.698 0.639 0.000 5.337
Education: Higher Ed 0.615 0.435 0.275 1.325
Food Sales & Service 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000
Healthcare 0.451 0.236 0.000 0.687
Industrial / Warehouse 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000
Laboratory / Tech / Science 3.003 0.460 1.749 5.211
Lodging 0.591 0.000 0.000 0.591
Mixed Use 1.319 0.160 0.553 2.032
Office 0.168 0.016 0.441 0.625
Residential: Affordable Multi Family 5.167 0.100 0.120 5.386
Residential: Multi-family 0.916 0.582 0.396 1.895
Restaurant 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000
Retail 0.008 0.000 0.000 0.008
Senior Living 0.397 0.097 0.000 0.493
Total 17.466 2.725 3.534 23.725